


The Colors of Our Love

by ShadowTrooper1414



Category: Eddsworld - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crayon box Soulmate AU, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Foursome - M/M/M/M, Highschool AU, M/M, Monster Tom, Multi, Tom Needs a Hug, pastel au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-02-06 15:33:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12820590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowTrooper1414/pseuds/ShadowTrooper1414
Summary: You’re assigned a color at birth. This color is the color that your soulmate identifies you with. When you’re five years old, you’re given a crayon box that contains crayons the color of your soulmate. When Tom gets his box, he’s confused as to why he has five colors - red, green, purple, white, and black. Either he has a lot of kids, or he’s gonna be part of an orgy. Oh boy.(AU created by https://radioactive1987hetaliaaa.tumblr.com/ on Tumblr. This isn’t the full AU, so ask her about it.)





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo! This is something I was struck with inspiration for. I know, I know. I have way too many stories as it is. I have a handful or so over on fanfiction.net, then one or two on Wattpad, and now the two I have on here. Honestly, I'm surprised I'm not dead yet.

It was Tom’s fifth birthday and he was playing with the new toys his parents had gotten him. It was around noon when his mother entered the living room. She gave him a toothy smile, holding something behind her back. As she neared him, she sat down and Tom put down the shark plushie he was playing with.

****

“Heya, champ,” she said, ruffling his spiky hair. “How’s your birthday been?”

 

“Good,” Tom replied, smiling. He was a quiet kid and, sometimes, his parents worried about his social life.

****

“Well, your father and I know how important this day is,” his mom started. Tom’s empty eyes sockets widened - the gene mutation was passed down to him from his mom. Both could still see just fine as it only affected their appearance.

****

“Is it today? Do I get my crayon box?” Tom had jumped to his feet, eager.

****

“Yes, it’s today,” the woman laughed, pulling her arms out from behind her back. She put the crayon box in Tom's hands and he opened it, grin growing wider.

****

“Mommah! I got five colors!” He was missing his two front teeth, giving him an adorable factor and a lisp. “I got a lotta soulmates!”

****

His mom giggled. “It’s likely that only three of those colors are your soulmates while the other two will be your kids.”

****

“How can you tell?” Tom tilted his head, smile still there but now confused.

****

“Well, the black and white crayons are thinner than the red, green, and purple ones,” she pointed at the crayons as she spoke.

****

“That’s so cool!” Tom’s grin never left his face. It brought his mom joy to know that her child could be this excited, even if it wasn't often.

****

If only her husband wasn’t killed later that very day.


	2. Ein

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT!!!!
> 
> Before you read this story, please note that I mean no disrespect to the real-life counterparts of these characters. Last names will be changed and I am basing the personalities of the characters of off the Eddsworld characters. That is all.

Tom clutched his throbbing head. His step-dad was rougher last night than usual, being drunk and all. Tom was lucky he got out of there with as little damage as he did. If only his mom was still around - she could chase the pain away.

The eyeless teenager pulled himself into a sitting position, looking at his reflection in the mirror across his room. He had a black eye - of course, he did and on the first day of school, too. As he got ready for the day, he prepared his excuse.  


_Got into a fight. I got into a fight and got my ass handed to me. That’s all.  
_ ****

Tom exited the bathroom after getting dressed and brushing his teeth. Today he had thrown on a random shirt, some black skinny jeans, and his blue hoodie. He grabbed his backpack from his room and headed down the stairs. He met his step-dad at the bottom.

“You’re not gonna get me into trouble today, right?” The man towered over Tom and the teen shrunk into himself.  


“N-no, Sir,” Tom replied, voice quiet.  


“Good boy,” the man - Richard - said, tilting Tom’s head up by his chin. “If you’re good, you’ll get a reward~.”      


The tone of his voice sent shivers down Tom’s spine, but he nodded. “Yes, Sir.”  


With that, Richard let Tom leave the house. As soon as Tom knew the man couldn’t see him, he broke out into a run. He clenched his eyes closed, fighting off tears. He didn’t notice the teen in a red hoodie in his path. The two collided, but only Tom fell.  


“Sorry,” the other teen said. His voice thick with an accent. Tom almost could hear the confidence dripping from his tone.  


“No, I’m the one who wasn’t looking where they were going,” Tom said quietly, picking himself up from the sidewalk.  


“Nah, it’s fine. I wasn't really paying attention anyway,” the red-clad teen replied, holding out a gloved hand. He had burn scars on the right half of his face and an eyepatch on that eye. “I’m Tord, by the way.”  


“T-Tom,” spiky-haired kid told Tord, not taking the offered hand. Tord shrugged and lowered it to his side as Tom continued. “I’m looking for St. Albert’s Academy for Gifted Artists. I’m kind of new here - I just moved with my step-dad.”  


“I’m going to school there, too,” Tord grinned. “We can walk together.”  


“Uh, sure,” Tom replied cautiously. With that, the two started walking down the sidewalk. Tord started a conversation.  


“So what’s your color?” Tord asked.

“Wow rude,” Tom shot. “Oh- uh- I mean- My color is blue- I mean green. My color is green.”  


Tord gave him an odd expression before shrugging again. “Cool. Mine’s red.”  


_Red, just like his step-father’s.  
_ ****

“Oh- um- That’s nice,” Tom said, fidgeting with his fingers.  


“That bruise makes you look kind of badass," Tord told him after a beat of silence. "Do you have eyes or are they completely black?”  


Tom just shrugged. “I don’t have eyes. It’s a hereditary thing. I got it from my mom.”  


“Cool,” Tord replied. “So how’d you get the bruise?”  


“Oh, right, that,” Tom stuttered. “I-I, uh, I got into a fight with… with a gang? Got my ass handed to me. N-nothing major. That’s p-probably the reason I’ll show up to s-school. Covered in bruises.”

  
“That’s so cool!” Tord said excitedly. “Which gang was it? The Red Squares are pretty tough. The Blue Triangles are, too. The Green and Purple Scarves joined together recently, so it might’ve been them.”  


“I-I don't know,” Tom said hurriedly. "They were quick and it was dark. I didn't g-get a good look at them."  


“Oh, right, sorry,” Tord replied, waving his gloved hand in a dismissing matter. “I get excited sometimes.”

Tom was quiet for a few seconds. He opened his mouth and, “Hey, Tord? Why are only one of your hands gloved? What’s with the scars and eyepatch?”  


“Hmm? What?” Tord asked, turning to Tom. “I couldn’t catch that.”  


“O-oh nothing!” Tom pushed out. “It wasn’t important.”  


Tord gave him another weird look. He then shrugged for what Tom thought was the hundredth time. “If you say so. Oh hey, we’ve made it to the school!”  


“What’s your first hour?” Tom asked.  


“I have science with Richardson in 213,” Tord replied. Tom got chills at the name.  


“I have, um… English with Tribbiani in room 106,” Tom said.  


“Well, I’ll get going to 213. Later Tom!” Tord gave Tom a wave as he walked up the stairs. Tom waved back before wandering through the halls, looking for room 106. He had just past another set of stairs when he tripped over somebody’s backpack.  


“I’m so sorry!” A ginger with blue eyes quickly ran up to Tom. The taller male helped Tom to his feet.  


“Good job, Matt,” a brunette chuckled, following behind the ginger. “Tripping the new kid.”  


“There’s a new kid?” Matt asked.

Tom gave the two a confused expression. The brunette laughed, “He was dropped on his head as a baby. It affects his ability to retain knowledge. If he forgets your name, don’t worry about it.”  


“O-okay,” Tom nodded. “I’m Tom, by the way.”  


“Edd, and he’s Matt,” Edd replied. “Is that bruise? How’d you get it? Was it from a gang? Does it hurt?”  


Tom felt a surge of anxiety at the flurry of questions. He bit his lip before answering. “Possibly, I was in a fight, it wasn’t from a gang, not really.”  


“What’s with your eyes?” Matt asked.

“I-it’s a hereditary thing from my mom,” Tom told the two. He then realized he had a minute before the tardy bell rang. “Hey, I have to go to room 106. Do either of you know where it is?”  


“I’m in that class!” Matt exclaimed. “Follow me!”  


Matt started walking away and Tom jogged to catch up. Soon they reached room 106 and Matt walked in. Tom let his gaze travel through the class, scanning the students. There were a few who looked like trouble. Tom imagined that he would too - if he had his piercings in.  


With a deep breath, Tom entered the class. He headed for the furthest seat from the front, which happened to be next to the back wall. The teacher - a young woman with blonde hair and hazel eyes - entered the room. Her eyes scanned the class before she called the students to attention  


“Good morning class! We have a new student today. Thomas, would you please come to the front?” The teacher motioned for him to come up. Nervously, Tom stood and made his way to the front of the classroom.  


“Good morning. My name is Thomas Bridgeweld but I prefer going by Tom. I just moved here from Presteigne,” Tom greeted. “I like playing bass and being satirical. I don’t like closed-minded people.”  _Like my step-father,_ Tom added in his thoughts.  


“Thank you, Tom. You may go sit down now,” Tribbiani told him and Tom went to go sit in his seat at the back of the class. “Okay, so today we are starting a new novel. It’s called…”  


At that point, Tom tuned the teacher out and instead paid attention to his fingers. He mimicked playing some song on a bass. He had no clue what tune he was playing, but it was familiar as it played out in his head. Maybe it was a song his mom sang him before she… Well, Tom preferred not to think about that.  


Soon, the bell rang, signifying the end of the first period. Heaving a sigh, Tom pulled his backpack onto his shoulder and exited the classroom. He couldn’t wait for the day to be over.

\-----

The first half of the school day was longer than Tom thought it would be. It felt like years had passed by the time lunch had rolled around. As he entered the cafeteria, he sighed for what felt like the millionth time that day. Then he groaned as he realized he forgot to make himself lunch that morning. Guess he’d be going hungry - again. First no dinner, then no breakfast, now no lunch. The day seemed to be getting better and better.  


_At least he hasn’t beaten the sarcasm out of me yet,_ Tom thought, sitting at an empty table. _Obvious sarcasm is obvious. Probably._  


Tom was pulled out of his musings by a hand on his shoulder. Immediately, he stiffened up, expecting a punch to the face. The hit never came.  


“Hey, dude,” an unfamiliar female voice said. “Do you mind moving? This is our table and we really don’t have enough space for another person. Sorry.”  


Tom turned in his seat, picking up his bag. “Oh, right, sorry. I’m new here and I don’t really know where to go.”  


“It’s no problem!” The girl shrugged off his apology, putting her stuff on the table. “Name’s Maria, and I know where you can sit. Follow me.”  


Tom simply nodded, feeling rather timid. The girl led him to a table with a familiar brunette and ginger. He racked his brain for their names. Eduardo and Mark? No, those guys were in Tom’s third hour.  


“‘Sup Edd, Matt. This guy needs a place to sit and I don’t have any space at my table,” Maria told the two. “Mind having him sit with you?”  


“Not at all!” Edd exclaimed, a smile on his face. “Oh hey, it’s you from this morning! Tom, right?”  


Tom nodded yet again, giving Maria a thankful smile. She grinned in response, then left. Tom sat down and looked at the two other males as they conversed.  


“I thought his name was Jon,” Matt said.  


“No, that’s Eduardo and Mark’s friend. This is Tom. The new kid?”  


“There’s a new kid?”  


Edd had a slightly exasperated expression on his face and looked like he was about to correct Matt. However, before he could, a pair of red sleeved arms caught him in a headlock. Confused yet amused, Edd looked up, a grin on his face.  


“Tord! How was Norway?” Edd smiled.  


“It was fun! Not as fun as being here, but still fun,” Tord said, giving Edd a noogie. He then let him go in favor of sitting down next to Matt. “Oh hey, Tom! How has the school life been treating you?”  


“Good, I guess,” Tom shrugged, fiddling with some loose string on his hoodie sleeve. “I mean, nobody has tried to kill me yet, so I count that as a win.”  


“Ooh, I like this guy!” Tord said to Edd.  


“You didn’t like me before?” Tom asked sarcastically. “Wow, I’m wounded.”  


“I like him, too,” Edd grinned. “He actually can put up with your shit.”  


“Well, a third person who can, anyway,” Tord smirked.  


“Does Matt even really count?” Edd responded.  


“Hey!” Matt exclaimed with faux-hurt.  


“You know I don’t mean it,” Edd turned his attention to the ginger. “You’re more than just your looks.”  


Suddenly, Tom felt a little bit awkward around the three. They were conversing like married soulmates and Tom didn’t know how to deal with it. He figured that the less he brought attention to himself, the better it would be in the long run. That’s why he stayed where he was, despite it being really uncomfortable for him.  


“Okay you two, we’re making the newcomer feel awkward,” Tord’s voice broke into Tom’s thoughts as if reading his mind.  


“Sorry, sorry,” Edd chuckled, half-embarrassed. “We’ve just known each other for so long it’s basically second nature to get into these three-way conversations. We end up tuning out the rest of the world.”  


“That’s one way of putting it,” Tord chuckled. “Anyway, enough about us. Where are you from Tom? What do you like to do? What’s your soulmate’s color? How’s your family?”  


Tom froze at the last question, blood going cold. Not literally, but it felt like it to him. He swallowed almost audibly and rubbed the back of his neck. With a deep breath, he opened his mouth to answer.  


Only for a strangled sound to come out.  


“Hey, you okay?” Matt asked, genuinely worried.  


Tom cleared his throat. “Y-yeah. Sorry. Anyway, I moved here from London with my step-father. I don't _like_ anything in specific, but I enjoy playing the base. I, um, don’t really remember my soulmate’s color? I lost my color box when I was little. All I can really make out is five different colors and something foggy my mom told me. As for my family, there’s not much to tell.”  


“What?! You lost your color box?!” Edd exclaimed. “How’s that even possible?!”  


Tom only shrugged, not sure how to answer the question.  


“Not much to tell about your family?” Tord raised an eyebrow skeptically.  


“Not much to tell about my family,” Tom restated. Tord fixed the shorter male with a stare before turning back to Edd in order to calm him down.  


“How can you just lose your color box?!” Edd was almost shouting. Tom twiddled his fingers. _‘Lose’_ wasn’t the right word, per se.

\-----

_Tom was ten years old. Richard was in a drunken rage and his mom was working late that night.  
_

_The young child was shaking violently, hiding in a cupboard. He could hear his mom’s new husband stomping around the dingy Presteigne apartment. The man was shouting something about soulmates and revenge, calling someone awful names that Tom would never wish on anybody.  
_ ****

_“Hey, Thomas, Tom, Tommie-boy~!” Richarch had called out, voice trying to become that sickeningly sweet tone that parents use to make their kids do stuff. “I wonder what would happen if I broke a soulmate crayon~.”  
_

_Tom had felt his blood chill. Richard wasn’t going to do that, was he?  
_ ****

_Without giving it much thought, Tom had barreled out of the cupboard and ran to his bedroom. If he could make it there before Richard, he could protect them, right? Right?  
_

_When Tom opened the door, the older male was already in there, his dirty hands all over Tom’s crayons. The eyeless child stood there, stock still, as Richard pulled one out. It was a green one - the calmest color.  
_ ****

_“You know, my whore of a soulmate was green, too,” Richard said softly. “When I killed her, I drained all of the green from her body. It was nice, riding the color from her disgusting existence.”  
_

_Tom opened his mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t leave his mouth. He formed them, but they couldn’t make it past his lips. When he finally gathered enough courage, his voice came out weak and small.  
_

_“No, not the green ones.”_  
  


_Richard slid his gaze over to the child before a sinister smile spread across his face. “Do you have an attachment to the green ones?”  
_ ****

_Tom felt himself start to shake as the man set the box on the ground. Richard brought both hands up to the crayon. Tom shook his head violently._ Why was this man doing this?! _Tom all but threw himself at his step-father, trying to pry the cruel fingers from his precious crayon.  
_ ****

_Then the sound of a crayon snapping filled the air. It was quickly followed by a child’s bloodcurdling scream._  
  


_The pain Tom felt could only be described as going through childbirth and your appendix rupturing at the same time. He could just barely hear Richard’s cackling over his own screams. When the pain finally faded it left the eyeless child panting.  
_ ****

_“This is… fascinating,” Richard said breathlessly. He then proceeded to snap another green, then another - over and over and over again until there were no more green ones left. Tom had eventually run out of breath to scream, just writhing in pain. Richard gave him a few moments of reprieve before moving on to the purples.  
_

_Tom’s mouth opened in a scream that left his own ears ringing. The purple hurt worse than the greens - or maybe that was because the pain of the purples was adding to the pain of the greens.  
_ ****

_Like before, Richard broke one crayon at a time, the pain Tom felt stacking together until he felt like he might explode. Death would be heaven compared to this torture._  


_T_ _he black ones hurt less than the other two colors broken before them. Richard noticed and started to break the black and white ones together. It hurt more than the green and purple ones alone. Tom couldn’t even begin to comprehend any feeling other than pain.  
_

_“There, all but the red ones,” Richard had sighed, leaning back and turning his attention to the gasping boy spasming on the ground next to him. “Hey, Tommie-boy~? You won’t mind being Richie’s green instead of Mommy’s blue, right?”  
_ ****

_Tom felt a hand on his thigh, slowly moving toward a spot that he didn’t want. Spit and tears were streaming down his face and he quickly nodded his head before Richard went any further.  
_

_“That’s a good boy,” Richard said, hovering over Tom. The man was basically straddling him. “Let’s do soulmate things together.”  
_ ****

_The neighbors were used to the screams. No one got involved when Tom’s screams started up again, pitch different from before and voice raw from crying for help.  
_

_When his mom came home, she was too scared to call the police. She helped her son, but became a victim of the abuse as well. Tom knew she was trying her best, but then_ The Incident _happened.  
_****

_Tom was alone from that point on._

\-----

“..om? Thomas?!”  


Tom jolted backward, falling out of his chair and onto the floor, chair clattering noisily. He put a hand up to his face and realized there was something damp under his nose. He pulled his hand away to see red streaking his fingertips.  


“Hey, you alright man?” Edd asked, leaning over the table. “You got a distant look in your eyes and your nose suddenly started bleeding.”  


“I-it’s nothing,” Tom replied, wiping his nose and pulling himself to his feet. “I get nosebleeds all the time. You got a napkin or something?”  


“Oh, yeah,” Matt said, then pulled some tissues from his hoodie pocket. Tom took them and picked his chair up. He nodded at Matt in thanks and sat in his chair. He cleaned up his face and put a piece of tissue up his nose.  


“Why do you get nosebleeds anyway?” Tord was the one who asked. His tone made him sound suspicious.  


“Um, the heat?” Tom offered, shrugging his shoulders. He tried to give his most convincing smile. He could tell it didn't work.  


“It’s the middle of winter,” Edd deadpanned.  


“Right,” the shortest of the four sighed, folding his fingers together on the table. He felt the nervous sweat roll down the back of his neck.  


“Tell us the truth,” Edd continued gently. “We won’t tell anyone. Heck, Matt will probably forget.”  


“Hey!” Matt exclaimed. Tord grinned at Edd before turning his attention back to Tom, serious again.  


“I… really can’t,” Tom sighed, twiddling his thumbs. “If I talk about it and _he_ finds out, then…”  


The implications hung heavily in the air. Tom closed his eyes, fighting back tears at the painful memories. He looked up when he felt three hands on his. The three older teens were trying to console him.  


Tom swallowed. “You promise not to tell anyone?”  


The three shared knowing glances before nodding solemnly. Edd voiced it by saying, “Cross my heart.”  


“Okay then,” Tom took a deep breath, voice shaking. “Have you ever heard of forced soulmate bonding?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right in the feels! We're hitting this hard and I'm not slowing down for anybody! Buckle up, 'cause we're goin' for a ride.  
> EDIT 11-26-2017: Went through and changed some stuff. Nothing major, just simple word alterations and the like.


	3. Zwei

“Forced soulmate bonding?” The question was out of Matt’s mouth before Tom could think to continue.

 

“It’s exactly as it sounds,” Tom told the three. “Richard, my step-father, forced a soulmate bonding ritual.”

 

“Between you and…” Edd trailed off, not knowing what to think.

 

“Between you and him, right?” Tord’s voice was almost a snarl.

 

Tom mustered a nod, gnawing on his lower lip. “It was- It is- It’s hard on the both of us. Maybe if my color was green- If I didn’t have more soulmates than him, it would be easier. It’s not, though. I was born a blue and he trained the green into me and now- I don’t know what to do.”

 

Tom felt his breathing start to pick up, his heart beginning to beat in his chest. The walls were closing in and it was getting harder to breathe and he suddenly couldn’t see or feel or hear anymore and he heard  _ his  _ voice in the back of his head, taunting him and suddenly it was too much toomuch toomuchtoomuchtoomuch-

 

“Hey, it’s going to be alright,” a heavily accented voice whispered in his ear. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

 

Tom felt gentle touches in his hair and on his face. He heard soft voices in his ear, whispering reassurances. His sight came back and through teary eyes, he saw a green arm, a purple arm, and a red arm hugging him. He smelled different scents all clouding together to make one wonderful smell. Tom tasted the mintiness of his toothpaste from when he brushed his teeth that morning.

 

“Shh, it’s okay,” Edd’s voice came through.

 

“We’ve got you, everything is just fine,” Matt whispered softly.

 

“You’re here, not there, you’re going to be okay,” Tord hushed.

 

With a few more moments of the embrace, Tom felt his breathing level out and his heart wasn’t pounding in his ears anymore.

 

“I'm- I’m okay,” Tom said softly, wiping tears away from his face. “You can let go now.”

 

Slowly, the arms withdrew and Tom had his own space again. He took a deep breath and removed his hands from where they were clutching his arms. When had he moved them?

 

“Hey, if you can’t tell us, it’s okay,” Tord said.

 

“Yeah, no worries. We kind of pushed you to tell us anyways,” Matt continued.

 

“Just know we’re here, yeah?” Edd offered Tom a smile - a soft, genuine, kind smile. Tom felt a strange emotion rise up in his chest, one he couldn’t name.

 

Tom gave the three a relieved nod. “Thank you.”

 

“Tom, I have one question, though,” Tord said after a moment of silence. He seemed hesitant. Tom nodded and he continued. “Are you blue or green? Your color, I mean.”

 

Edd sent a sharp glare in Tord’s direction. “He literally almost had a panic attack because of this topic!”

 

“Calm down, calm down,” Tord sweatdropped, putting his hands up in a placating manner.

 

“Even Matt has more sense than that,” Edd sighed, rolling his eyes.

 

“Yeah! Even I- Hey, wait!” Matt pouted.

 

Despite himself, Tom burst out into laughter. It was sudden and giddy - it was pure, genuine laughter, something Tom hadn’t been able to do in a while. He was laughing so hard his stomach started hurting and tears pricked his eyes. After a moment, the other three started giggling too and Tom found himself glad that he had met these people.

 

“Why are we laughing?” Tord wheezed, still half-chuckling.

 

“No clue, but it feels great after that,” Edd wiped a tear from his eye.

 

_ This is… nice. I don’t ever want to leave,  _ Tom let the last of his giggles trail off, wanting to stay with these three forever.

 

Then the bell rang.

 

\-----

 

Tom was dreading the end of school. School ending meant going back to the house where  _ that man  _ was. Tom really,  _ really  _ did  _ not  _ want to go back. Never again. Despite what he wanted, more harm would come to him if he didn't go to his house. With a deep breath ending in yet another sigh.

 

Tom took a few steps out of his seventh hour only to be barrelled down by some guy in a black sweatshirt. The short male felt content to just lie there on the floor and pass out, but an urge in the back of his mind compelled him to stand. He really didn’t want to, but the urge didn’t go away, so he pulled himself to his feet.

 

“Hey, get back here!”

 

Tom looked to his left to see the guy he was knocked over by running away. He then turned his head to the right and saw a familiar red hoodie. It was Tord!

 

“Ah, darn,” Tord sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “Oh well, I’ll get him another time. Oh hey, Tom!”

 

“Oh, uh- Hi Tord,” Tom stuttered.

 

“Mind if we walk home together? Seeing as we live relatively near each other. I think,” Tord scratched the back of his head.

 

“Well, we did sort of run into each other this morning?” Tom continued awkwardly. “Or at least, I ran into you.”

 

“That is true,” Tord chuckled. “Okay! We’re officially walking home together. Actually, can I come over to your house?”   
  


“Um- can I text my step-dad?” Tom responded. Tord nodded and Tom pulled his phone out. He opened his messages and tapped his chat with Richard.

 

**_To Richard  2:34 PM_ **

**Good afternoon, Sir. I was wondering if a friend could come over today?**

 

**_From Richard  2:34 PM_ **

**What kind of friend? Are they a guy or girl? Did you tell them?**

 

**_To Richard  3:35 PM_ **

**I met him today, he’s a boy, and no, I didn’t tell him.**

 

**_From Richard  3:35 PM_ **

**Fine, he can come over.**

**But if I find out you told him anything, you’re in deep shit.**

 

**_To Richard  3:35 PM_ **

**Yes, Sir. Wouldn’t imagine anything else.**

 

“H-he said you came come over,” Tom told Tord, fiddling with his sleeve. “But he can’t know I told you about the soulmate thing.”

 

“Good. Great,” Tord’s expression went dark for a moment before he gave Tom a grin. “Let’s get going then!”

 

“Y-yeah,” Tom nodded. Tord and Richard in the same room together with Tom stuck in the middle? This was a recipe for disaster - especially since Tord was probably smarter than he was letting on. Oh boy.

 

\-----

 

When Tom opened the door to his house, he expected Richard to be there. He expected Richard to greet Tord with suspicion and for Tord to mosey on in without any grievances. He expected Richard to sit down with Tord and give him some bullshit talk or explanation or whatever. What happened was none of those things.

 

Tom had opened the door and immediately heard a shout. The sound of glass breaking followed, making Tom flinch. Regardless, he stepped into the house and allowed Tord to follow after him.

 

“Sir? I’m home,” Tom called out into the house. “My friend is with me.”

 

“Ah, Thomas! Welcome home,” Richard exited his personal lab, taking off rubber gloves. “And welcome to our humble abode, mister…”

 

“Lersenz. Tord Lersenz,” Tord replied.

 

“That’s a… peculiar accent you have there,” Richard drawled, tone suspicious.

 

“Norwegian,” Tord informed, voice the same as the older man. “I just got back from a trip to Norway with my family, actually.”

 

The two other males had a staring contest. There were a few beats of silence and Tom looked between the two nervously. He ended up clearing his throat to gather their attention.

 

“So, um- What were you doing in your lab, Sir?” Tom decided to change the subject.

 

“I’m glad you asked,” Richard grinned - it sent shivers down Thomas’ spine. “I’m working on a new serum and just made a breakthrough. Why don’t you show your guest to the sitting room while I clean up a bit.”

 

It wasn’t a question.

 

“Yes, Sir. Right this way, Tord,” Tom led the Norwegian to the sitting room of the house. “I’ll be right back. I just have to put my stuff in my room."

 

“I’ll be waiting,” Tord replied, taking a seat on one of the couches. He put his backpack on the floor next to him. Tom shot him a brief smile before leaving the room.

 

The eyeless teen heaved a sigh as he reached the stairs. He went up, opened the door to his room and put his backpack on the bed. He pulled out a drawer of one of his bedside tables and pulled out his soulmate crayons. Still only the red ones. With yet another sigh, he put them back and stood. Within the next minute, he found himself downstairs and sitting on the couch with Tord.

 

“So, Tord,” Richard said, walking into the room. “You go to school with Tom, correct?”

 

“Yes, sir,” Tord nodded. “We only today but we kind of just… clicked, you know?”

 

“Ah, the special ‘Soulmate-Click’ that people are always going on about,” Richard sighed in a fond manner. “I remember clicking like that with Thomas’ mother.”

 

“When did you marry Tom’s mother?” Tord asked.

 

“Why do you wish to know?” Richard narrowed his eyes slightly and Tord did the same in return.

 

“I have no wish to intrude on private affairs, but I just assumed she wasn’t around anymore,” Tord replied.

 

“Well, she’s not, okay?” Tom interjected harshly.

 

“Thomas, what have I told you about holding your tongue?” Richard’s voice was hard. It made Tom hunch into himself a little.

 

“Yes, Sir, it won’t happen again,” Tom said.

 

“No, wait,” Tord said before Richard could continue. “I want to hear what Tom has to say.”

 

“Well, Thomas? Go on and tell your  _ friend  _ what happened to your mother,” Richard sneered. Tom could hear the dare in the man’s voice. This was his chance to tell Tord the actual truth.

 

“She was in a car crash.”

 

He cracked under the pressure. He couldn’t do it. He was a failure and now Tord would never know. Tord would never find out about what had happened.

 

“That sucks,” Tord said lamely. “I can’t really relate. I grew up not knowing my parents since they died when I was young. I was adopted by my current parents and we live down the street from here.”

 

“Ah, that is unfortunate. Though, it’s nice that Thomas has a good friend nearby,” Richard replied. “He’s never been very good at making or keeping friends. Take care of him, will you?”

 

“I will,” Tord smiled. Tom couldn’t tell whether it was real or not.

 

Then, just like that, the talk was over. Richard allowed Tom and Tord to go up to Tom’s bedroom with the promise of snacks and drinks later. Tom didn’t trust this “good step-dad” version of Richard. 

 

Tom opened his bedroom door for Tord and then entered himself afterward. As soon as the door closed, Tord was bombarding him with questions.

 

“How much of that was bullshit?”

 

“How often is he like that?”   
  


“How did your mom  _ really  _ die?

 

“Soulmate-click? The fuck is that?”

 

Tom put his hands up in a placating manner. “I-I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you any of those things. Well, except the soulmate thing. You see, a soulmate-click is what two or more soulmates feel as soon as they meet. It drives you to be close to the other person and protect them. Sometimes, there are people who can strongly detect this feeling. If you know two of your soulmates, then meet a third, the feeling that would have dulled from being with the two former soulmates will come back tenfold when you meet your third soulmate.”

 

Tord was quiet for a few moments. He looked at Tom, seeming to memorize every detail. “Does this ‘click’ happen to be tied to the crayons?”

 

“Maybe?” Tom shrugged. “I’m not sure. My crayons were bro-”

 

He cut himself off just in time for Richard to walk in, a tray of cookies and two glasses of water in his hands. He set them down on Tom’s desk.

 

“If you boys need anything, I’m in my lab,” Richard said, then was gone in a blink, door shut behind him.

 

“So how long are you staying?” Tom asked, turning on his Xbox.

 

“Until 6-ish? Or until my parents text me,” Tord replied. “What’re you gonna play?”

 

“I’m not sure yet. What are you in the mood for? I got some Telltale` Walking Dead Seasons 1, 2 and 3, Fallout 4, a bunch of other games.”

 

“Got any Assassin’s Creed?” Tord asked.

 

“Only the fourth game,” Tom said, pulling it off the shelf.

 

“Only one I haven’t played,” Tord grinned.

 

“Let’s do it then,” Tom smiled, popping the disk out of the holder and inserting it into the console.

 

“Let’s,” Tord’s grin turned into a smirk as he was handed the controller. This was going to be an adventure.

 

\-----

 

“See you tomorrow, Tom!” Tord waved as he left. As soon as he was out of sight, Richard’s nice demeanor dropped.

 

“So, Thomas, how much did you tell him?” Richard’s voice was sharp as he pulled Tom back into the house.

 

“I didn’t tell him anything,” Tom replied calmly.

 

“Liar!” Richard shouted, pushing Tom up against the now closed door.

 

“I’m not lying,” Tom insisted, growing panicked.

 

“Do we need a visit to the lab?” Richard snarled. Tom quickly shook his head. “Then tell me what you told him.”

 

Tom bit his lip. “I… I didn’t tell him anything.”

 

“Even with a threat of the lab, you still won’t tell me?” Richard said. “Guess we’re off to the lab.”

 

“No, not the lab, please not the lab!” Tom tried to struggle out of the man’s grip. Richard ignored him and continued to drag him along towards the lab.

 

Tom was scared. He didn’t want this. He wanted to be with Tord, Edd, and Matt, not in the hands of this murderer and psychopath. Tom knew that this man was going to experiment on him. Tom was always his test subject.

 

“I have this new serum that needs to be tested,” Richard stated, opening the door to his lab. “Lab mice are far too expensive and I don’t have any other subject, so you’re going to have to do. Just like last time and every time before that.”

 

Tom felt a growing pit of dread in his stomach as Richard pulled him down the stairs. Was this the day that Richard killed him? Tom felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as he listened to Richard get the table ready, still holding the 14-year-old.

 

“Are you ready, Tommie?” Richard asked, pushing Tom down onto the table.

 

Tom was shaking, unable to keep still as Richard strapped him down, tightening it until Tom felt as if he would lose circulation to his hands. Richard stepped away from the table, picking up a syringe.

 

“This won’t hurt a bit,” Richard assured. It didn’t comfort Tom. “Well, probably.” And in went the syringe.

 

It hurt. A lot. Maybe even worse than his crayons being broken, and that  _ really  _ hurt. Was that screaming coming from him? 

 

Eventually, the pain faded, but so did everything else.

 

\-----

 

When Tom regained consciousness, the lab was a mess. He was, too. He looked around, spotting Richard cowering in a corner, shaking. Just what had happened to scare Richard?

 

“Thomas?” Richard’s voice rang out in the almost silent lab. The scientist stood and made his way over. Tom backed away as the man approached, pushing himself backward.

 

“P-please, don’t hurt me anymore,” Tom said, voice wavering. He expected to be hit when Richard raised his hand, but instead, he felt it settle on his cheek.

 

“It worked,” Richard’s voice was quiet, but gain volume the next time he spoke. “It worked. It really worked!”

 

Tom dared to ask, “What worked?”

 

“Why, my experiment!” Richard got a crazed glint in his eye. “It worked, and the experiment is you. But you knew that, didn’t you?”

 

Tom was silent as Richard stood and started rushing around, saying something about running tests and checking vitals. Tom just tuned out what was happening to him as Richard hooked him up to a bunch of machines.

 

It felt like years until Richard allowed him to go up to his room. When he got there, he realized he only had a few hours until he had school.

 

Regardless to say, Tom ended up staying awake until his alarm went off. He was sitting in the corner of his room the entire time, paralyzed from the fear of not knowing what had happened to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo everyone! Shadow here again! This is the second chapter. Next chapter is going to be dealing with some heavy topics. Depression, abuse (more than previously mentioned), some things that you can see in the tags, and some fluff. Not specifically in that order, but still.
> 
> Anywho, hope you enjoyed! If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please let me know! Don't forget to give kudos and I will see you all soon! *Salute*


	4. Drei

It had been a week. One week since the “experiment.” Other than the occasional strange questions, Richard had been pretty much the same. Being an asshole, beating Tom, doing  _ other things  _ to Tom, doing science stuff.

 

Tom’s been going to school for a full week. He became well-liked by the teachers and his peers never really noticed him. Tord had come over one other time, bringing Edd then. Edd met Richard and Tom could tell that they disliked each other just as much as Richard and Tord. Tord, Edd, and Matt exchanged phone numbers with Tom. They had yet to really text each other.

 

It was a cold December morning and Tom had to get up for school. He really didn’t want to but he also didn’t want to risk dealing with Richard all day, so he had to. He sat up, rubbing his sore backside. Thoughts of the night before flooded his mind and he felt like throwing up. Tom pulled his legs to his chest and buried his face into his knees. Why did he have to deal with this?

 

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a dinging from his phone. His alarm was going off. With that made known to him, Tom pulled himself from his bed. He grabbed his phone he dismissed the alarm, then grabbed a shirt and some jeans from his dresser, then changed into it. He grabbed his hoodie and shoes and shoved that stuff on too.

 

Tom went over to his mirror and inspected the damage done to him. Hickeys that looked like bruises, a split lip, a black eye (again?!), and what seemed to be an almost broken nose. This was going to be a wonderful way to greet Tord when they met up.

 

By this point, Tord was starting figure out that something was up. Well, other than the soulmate thing. Tom knew that Tord was trying to find out more information. Heck, Tom almost slipped up a couple of times. Soon enough, Tom was going to spill the beans about everything and Tord was going to find out about all the stuff that the blue-clad teen was struggling to hide.

 

Tom heaved a heavy sigh, then grabbed his backpack. He was going to forgo brushing his teeth and hair that morning. He practically ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. He made himself some toast and ate it with plain, then packed a lunch consisting of a turkey and cheese sandwich, an apple and a bottle of water. Then he was out of the house.

 

Tom let out a slow breath, just watching as his breath formed a little cloud of fog in the cold air. It was snowing and there was a thin layer of it on the sidewalk. He kicked a little bit up with a foot as he came to a stop where he usually waited for Tord. Then his phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered it without reading the caller ID.

 

“Hello?” Tom greeted.

 

“Good morning, Tom!” Edd’s voice filtered through the speaker. “Are you still in bed? Did I wake you?”

 

“Nah. I’ve been up for a while,” Tom replied. “In fact, I’m even waiting for Tord.”

 

“Ah, okay,” Edd said. “Then I’ll- What? No! I don’t want to be the one who talks about it!”

 

It seemed like Edd had started to talk to someone in the background. In fact, Tom could  _ hear _ talking in the background. Then Edd groaned. “Fine, I’ll ask him about it.”

 

“Ask who about what?” Tom interjected.

 

“Tom, I want you to answer truthfully,” Edd started. Tom hummed and Edd continued. “What’s going on with you at home? I’ve seen the bruises and cuts, Tord has seen the crayon box. What up with you and Richard?”

 

Tom’s blood went cold. He couldn’t tell Edd. He really,  _ really _ couldn’t tell him. If he did, then Richard would find out eventually. Tom couldn’t risk that. Instead, he came up with a lie.

 

“That’s my mom’s crayon box,” Tom said. “I kept it in memory of her. As for the bruises and cuts, that’s from a gang.”

 

That second part was at least half-true. Tom had gotten into a fight with some Blue Square people last Friday. They were upset about something, but Tom couldn’t really care to remember. 

 

“Tom, we both know that’s not true,” Edd pushed.

 

“Yes, it is!” Tom retaliated, a growl in his voice. “Nothing is going on!”

 

“Just tell me what Richard is doing!”

 

“There’s nothing to tell!”   
  


“Yes, there is!”

“No there’s not!”

“Tom, you’re making this harder than it has to be! Just tell me what’s happening!”

“No!”

 

“Yes!”   
  
“No!” Tom’s voice was more a growl than an actual human speaking tone. “That’s final!”   
  
With a huff, he hung up and tossed his phone into the snow. A moment later, he scrambled to pick his phone up. He checked it to see if it was broken - it wasn’t. He breathed a sigh of relief and put the device in his pocket.

 

Just from that morning, Tom knew it was going to be a long day.

 

\-----

 

“Hey, Tim!” Matt greeted as Tom walked into their shared first hour.   
  


“It’s Tom,” he corrected, sitting down next to Matt.   
  


“Sorry,” Matt smiled. “You’re still a little new, so I can’t always remember your name.”   
  
“You forget Tord’s name pretty often,” Tom said, raising an eyebrow.

 

“That’s a running joke between me, him, and Edd,” Matt clarified.

 

“Hey, Matt, I have a question,” Tom said after a moment.

 

“Alright, go ahead and ask,” Matt replied, doodling on a paper.

 

“Do you know who your soulmates are?” Tom asked.

 

“Well, I know two of my three,” Matt told him.

 

“Who are they?” Tom continued.

 

“Edd and Tord,” Matt finally looked up, giving Tom a grin. “Though, I think I might know who our third soulmate is.”

 

“Who do you think it is?” Tom asked.

 

Matt made a humming noise. “I’m not telling anybody until I have some sort of proof.”

 

Tom gave Matt a long look before leaning back in his chair. “Well, okay. Let me know if I can help.”

 

“Yeah, I will,” Matt said. Then he went back to his doodling.

 

Tom took this time to look around the room. Nobody really stood out anymore. Though, he did notice a few guys looking at him. Wait, no, they were glaring at him. Yup, definitely glaring. Looks like Tom would have to  _ talk _ to them after school. That is, if they didn’t talk with him first.

 

\-----

 

Tom was on his way to lunch when the guys from his first hour confronted him. Surprisingly, the hallway they had cornered him in was empty. Tom looked at the three guys in front of him.

 

One was short and kind of chubby. He was probably the one the ‘boss’ picked on the most. Another was tall and rather lanky, pale too. He, most likely, was second in command. The third was of average height, but that was all that Tom made note of. This one was probably the boss.

 

“Can I help you?” Tom asked, face impassive.

 

“We just wanted to talk,” the boss said. “We heard that some Blue Squares were giving you some trouble.”

 

“Maybe, maybe not,” Tom replied. “What about it?”

 

“Well, I’m one of the leaders of the Green-Purple Scarves. You’re friends with one of our members,” he told Tom.

 

“Who?” Tom asked.

 

“Matthew Heargraves, or Matt, as you know him,” the leader said. “Well, ex-member. He left once he figured out who his soulmates were. So that’s why we need  _ you _ to join us.”

 

Tom looked him up and down. “No thanks.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“I said no thank you. I’m already busy with… stuff,” Tom half-lied.

 

“Look, Tom,” he sighed. “I’m only trying to help you. If you join us, those Blue Squares won’t bother you anymore.”

 

“I really can’t. I would if I could,” Tom replied.

 

“My name is Liam,” he said. “I’m just trying to keep you out of too much trouble. Since you can’t join our gang, can you at least do something for us?”   
  
“What is it?” Tom asked.

 

“Well, the Green-Purple Scarves own a bar downtown. We’d like you to play a gig.”

 

“A gig?”

 

“Yeah,” Liam said. “We would pay you after each one, and you could also get tips from bar patrons. Plus, I know you play base and would want something from that. So what do you say?”

 

Tom contemplated it for a moment. If he told Richard that it was a job and he could get extra money, then he  _ could _ do it. Though, that didn’t mean he could  _ keep _ the money. Rich would probably use it for beer or something, though.

 

“Yeah, okay,” Tom agreed. “So when’s my first day?”

 

Liam grinned. “That’s the spirit.”

 

\-----

 

Tom swallowed as he looked at the crowd. Most of them had an article of either purple or green on their person. There were others with blue or red, and then some with none.

 

Liam walked up behind Tom and put a hand on his shoulder, scaring him. “You got this! Don’t worry too much. Besides, most of them are drunk out of their minds. You only have to play one song tonight, anyway.”   
  


“Y-yeah,” Tom said, letting out a deep breath.

 

The two drunk guys who were singing a horrible rendition of  _ Eros and Apollo _ (1) by Studio Killers were ushered off the stage.

 

“Give another round of applause for Jim and his brother Jimmy!” The announcer waited for the clapping and cheering to stop. “And now, please welcome Thomas Bridgeweld to the stage! Tonight, he is playing  _ Basket Case _ (2) by Green Day.”

 

Tom took a calming breath before stepping up onto the stage. He was glad he put makeup on the bruises Richard had left the night before. He also knew that people were going to be curious about his eyes.

 

There were whoops and a cat call of, “Damn, boy! You a hottie!"

 

Tom felt himself blush, fiddling with his tie for a moment. He opened his bass case and took the instrument out. He told the announcer to plug him into the amp.

 

“I’m going to have to tune real fast,” Tom said. The announce nodded and told some bad jokes - which Tom found at least a little funny - while waiting for Tom to tune.

 

Tom let the announcer guy know that he was done tuning. The announcer put the microphone on the stand and nodded at Tom before jumping off the stage. Tom cleared his throat before speaking into the microphone.

 

“Good evening!” He waved to the crowd. “I’m Thomas, but you can call me Tom. You’ll be seeing more of me since I’m starting a weekly gig here! I’m only playing one song tonight, but in the future, I’ll be playing more. And some of my own. Anyway, I’ve been keeping you for too long as it is.”

 

There were a few cheers before Tom started the song. He took a deep breath, hands poised to play. Then he started.

 

_ Do you have the time to listen to me whine _ _   
_ _ About nothing and everything all at once _ _   
_ _ I am one of those _ _   
_ _ Melodramatic fools _ _   
_ _ Neurotic to the bone _ _   
_ __ No doubt about it

 

Most of the bar had calmed down. It made Tom a little nervous, but he kept playing. Couldn’t stop in the middle of a performance. A memory tried to force its way into his head at that thought, but he pushed it away. Had to keep playing. __   
  


_ Sometimes I give myself the creeps _ _   
_ _ Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me _ _   
_ _ It all keeps adding up _ _   
_ _ I think I'm cracking up _ _   
_ _ Am I just paranoid? _ _   
_ _ Or am I just stoned? _ __   
  


Tom glanced around the room. Most eyes were on him. The bartender had a soft smile on their face but kept their eyes downcast.

 

_ I went to a shrink _ _   
_ _ To analyze my dreams _ _   
_ _ She says it's lack of sex that's bringing me down _ _   
_ _ I went to a whore _ _   
_ _ He said my life's a bore _ _   
_ __ So quit my whining cause it's bringing her down

 

Tom really started getting into here, glad he asked one of Liam’s lackeys - this one named John while the other was named Phillip - to play the drums. It really wouldn’t have been the same without it. __   
  


_ Sometimes I give myself the creeps _ _   
_ _ Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me _ _   
_ _ It all keeps adding up _ _   
_ _ I think I'm cracking up _ _   
_ _ Am I just paranoid? _ _   
_ _ A ya-ya-ya _ __   
  


Tom let himself flow with the music through the instrumental. It was something he had gotten good at, especially when Richard - there that memory was again, trying to push through again. He didn’t let it.

 

_ Grasping to control _ _   
_ _ So I better hold on _

 

Tom felt his lips pull into a smile. This was one of his favorite things to do. People who knew the song were singing along and people who didn’t were still dancing to it. Tom loved doing this. It helped distract him from -  _ keep the memory away until we get off of the stage _ . __   
  


_ Sometimes I give myself the creeps _ _   
_ _ Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me _ _   
_ _ It all keeps adding up _ _   
_ _ I think I'm cracking up _ _   
_ _ Am I just paranoid? _ _   
_ __ Or am I just stoned?

 

Tom finished out the song and listened to the claps for a while. When everyone had settled down, he spoke.

 

“Well, that was that for tonight!” Tom listened to the groans before chuckling. “I know, I know. But I’ll be back in about a week! I’ll be singing two songs then, one being one I wrote myself.”

 

There were cheers and Tom smiled. “I’ll be leaving now. It was great to play for you tonight!”

 

With that, Tom unplugged his base from the amp and put it in its case. He left the stage, accepted his check from Liam, and sheepishly accepted any praises. Tom continued to push back the memory until he was several blocks down from the bar.

 

Once he was out of any lights, he let the tears he was holding in fall. He clutched his chest, hyperventilating. He felt himself collapse against the building he was next to but didn’t process it.

 

Within minutes, Tom was pulled into his memory.

 

\----

 

_ Tom was standing next to the door submissively as Richard entered the house. His heart pounded in his chest, but he knew that if he wasn’t there, Richard would be pissed. The thirteen-year-old flinched at the door slammed closed. _

 

_ “Ah, so the little  _ bitch  _ is here? What do you want?” Richard snarled. _

 

_ “J-just following orders, sir,” Tom said. His face was tilted towards the ground. It wasn’t surprising that Richard titled his head upward to make eye contact. _

 

_ “So you  _ can  _ learn a lesson,” Richard said, scanning Tom’s eye sockets. He pulled away and started to go to the stairs, signaling to Tom to follow. _

 

_ Not wanted to get Richard mad, Tom scampered after him. He was led up the stairs and into Richards  _ special  _ room. Tom knew that if he didn’t behave and follow Richards instructions to a T, he would be punished severely. _

 

_ Richard sat on the bed, commanding Tom to stand in front of him a few feet away. A smirk covered Richard’s face and Tom forced himself to not look away. This wouldn’t be fun. _

 

_ “Give me a show,” Richard said, voice low in what Tom assumed to be an attempt at seduction. It was a horrible attempt. _

 

_ Even still, Tom did as asked. He slowly pulled off his shirt, trying to make it as appealing as possible. He bit his lip, glancing to and from Richard’s eyes. After he gently dropped his shirt to the floor, he unbuttoned his jeans and slowly pulled down the fly. He felt the urge to vomit at the fact he was still wearing lacy girl’s underwear from the other night. _

 

_ Tom looked up at Richard and maintained eye contact as he let his pants drop to the floor. Tears gathered in his eyes as he looked away again. This was humiliating, but he couldn’t do anything about it. _

 

_ Tom turned around and bent over, touching the floor. He wagged his ass a little before slowly standing up straight again, pulling his arms up his body. He looked over his shoulder at Richard. The man had a hand in his pants, eyes filled with lust. However, Tom knew the rules, so did Richard - and Richard was one to keep to the rules. Only one session per week where they touched each other - that was a couple nights ago. _

 

_ Tom let his hands drop to the lace panties, thumbs slipping into the hem. He made sure he was still facing his front away from Richard if only to hide the fact that this wasn’t affecting him in that way at all. _

 

_ He slowly pulled the panties off and threw them to the side. He made a show of licking his fingers and getting them lubed up with his spit before putting actual lube on them. He bent himself over and was about to start fingering himself before freezing. _

 

What the actual fuck was he doing?! This wasn’t what normal thirteen-year-olds did in their free time on a Friday night!

 

_ “Why’d you stop boy?” Richard’s rough voice pulled him from his thoughts. Richard was close to his climax - Tom could tell by the gravelliness his voice took on. _

 

_ Tom straightened. “I don’t want to do this anymore.” _

 

_ “You were just fine with it before!” Richard growled, pulling his hand from his pants. _

 

_ “No, I wasn’t!” Tom exclaimed, turning around to face Richard. “I never wanted to do it! You forced me to! You used fear to make me! I-!” _

 

_ Richard slapped him, cutting him off. “Tommie-boy, you better finish, or else there will be much worse in store for you.” _

 

_ Tom swallowed as tears rolled down his face. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. “Y-yes, sir.” _

 

\-----

 

Tom blocked out the rest of the memory. He didn’t know when he had fallen to his knees next to the building. He didn’t know why he had to deal with this. He didn’t know why everyone else seemed to have happy lives with happy endings. He just didn't know. He hated not knowing.

 

It took a little over thirty minutes for Tom to calm down from the memory. He took several deep breaths even after he had calmed down, bracing himself to stand and walk home. After a moment, he managed to pull himself to his feet and begin the trudge to the house that would never be home.

  
It was still snowing. It was cold.  _ Tom  _ was cold, though he doubted it was from the weather.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Eros and Apollo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRXuiJVrkFI&feature=youtu.be
> 
> 2\. Basket Case - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS86jipcKzw&feature=youtu.be
> 
> \-------
> 
> I know I disappeared for a little over two months. Some of you have been worried. But don't worry! I'm perfectly okay. Nothing to worry about! I've just been thinking about starting too many projects. Not to mention, inspiration can be kind of hard to find.
> 
> Anywho, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I had most of it written for a while now, but I only got the last bit written right before I posted it. Now I'm basically out of ideas. I know where I want to end up, but I'm not sure how to get there right now. So if you guys want to, give me some ideas! I might not use some of them, but trust me when I say that they are heard and appreciated.


End file.
